way he acts?”
“He’s been in Omaha for nearly eight years.”
Rose cocked an eyebrow. “I never knew him well, but he’s not at all how I remember him. He was a hot head. He’s nothing like I imagined he would be.”
Carla’s smooth brow formed the crease that always appeared when she was thinking hard. “Well, the last time we saw him, he was only seventeen years old. Now he’s twenty-five. He’s matured in a city that everyone says is cosmopolitan.”
“Swanky,” Rose said, smiling at the memory of Sand’s disapproving description of Omaha. Her smile faded. “Sky came back only because Taye wrote to him and told him he was allowing me to be courted.”
“Does it matter why?” Carla lifted Little Feather to her shoulder to burp him. “He’s here now.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s wrong, Rose? Don’t you want him to court you?”
Rose raised a hand as if to stroke the baby’s small head, let it fall. “I want that.” She nodded at Little Feather. “I want to hold my own baby in my arms. I want a family.”
The Lupa nodded. “I know. I’ve seen it in you for the past few years. Don’t you think you could have that with Sky?”
“Maybe. But I’m not sure I like him.”
“Is it because of what he did in Omaha? The bordello?”
Rose hesitated. “I don’t think so. Quill and Sand have both tried to explain to me about his whorehouse. I don’t think I understand how a wolf warrior could run a whorehouse, but Amanda was happy there. She said Sky was the best employer a woman in Omaha could have. So I don’t think that’s it. Or…” She threw up her hands. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s part of it. He’s just so…smooth. I don’t trust him.”
Carla lifted startled eyes to stare at her. “You don’t think he would hurt you?”
“No.”
“Do you find him attractive?”
Rose ignored the heat that flooded her cheeks. “Oh, sure, he’s good-looking.”
“That’s not quite the same thing. One thing all us mates have in common is the attraction we feel for our men.”
The heat multiplied. “He’s hot, okay? But he’s not the only hot guy around here.”
“Do you mean Jasper?” Carla laughed at her glare. “You know wolves are bigger gossips than most people think women are. I know all about your lunch with Jasper.”
“Of course you do.” Rose made a face. “I had a nice time this afternoon until Mr. City Slicker got off the train. I suppose I’ll need to cancel my Saturday night supper with Jasper.”
“Yeah, Taye will have one of the men tell him.”
Rose winced when she imagined how the message would be delivered. “I should write a note to him. I’d like to explain in person, but I don’t suppose I can.”
Little Feather slept, a small milk bubble trembling on his lower lip. Carla smiled down at her son before looking back up at Rose. “Sky wouldn’t like that much. Are you going to let him court you?”
“Yeah.” Rose heaved a sigh. “I guess I owe him that much. But if don’t like him, I’m not accepting his mate claim. That’s final.”
“No one would argue with that. If you give him an honest chance and you decide you don’t want him, then you can look for another man to give you a family.”
Rose got ready for bed late that night. Sky still hadn’t returned from the Plane Women’s House. Why was she disappointed? They would have plenty of time to get to know one another. It was just that she wanted to see him. Even to herself she was reluctant to admit why, but she despised people who ignored things they didn’t want to face. The truth was, he was very handsome, and she couldn’t wait to be courted.
She settled under the blanket, feeling like a little girl on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa Claus. Tomorrow would be present-opening day and her present was wrapped in a slick city suit. She wanted to see what was under the wrapping. Not just the body, although she certainly looked forward to seeing that, but what his heart held. And,
“He’s been in Omaha for nearly eight years.”
Rose cocked an eyebrow. “I never knew him well, but he’s not at all how I remember him. He was a hot head. He’s nothing like I imagined he would be.”
Carla’s smooth brow formed the crease that always appeared when she was thinking hard. “Well, the last time we saw him, he was only seventeen years old. Now he’s twenty-five. He’s matured in a city that everyone says is cosmopolitan.”
“Swanky,” Rose said, smiling at the memory of Sand’s disapproving description of Omaha. Her smile faded. “Sky came back only because Taye wrote to him and told him he was allowing me to be courted.”
“Does it matter why?” Carla lifted Little Feather to her shoulder to burp him. “He’s here now.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s wrong, Rose? Don’t you want him to court you?”
Rose raised a hand as if to stroke the baby’s small head, let it fall. “I want that.” She nodded at Little Feather. “I want to hold my own baby in my arms. I want a family.”
The Lupa nodded. “I know. I’ve seen it in you for the past few years. Don’t you think you could have that with Sky?”
“Maybe. But I’m not sure I like him.”
“Is it because of what he did in Omaha? The bordello?”
Rose hesitated. “I don’t think so. Quill and Sand have both tried to explain to me about his whorehouse. I don’t think I understand how a wolf warrior could run a whorehouse, but Amanda was happy there. She said Sky was the best employer a woman in Omaha could have. So I don’t think that’s it. Or…” She threw up her hands. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s part of it. He’s just so…smooth. I don’t trust him.”
Carla lifted startled eyes to stare at her. “You don’t think he would hurt you?”
“No.”
“Do you find him attractive?”
Rose ignored the heat that flooded her cheeks. “Oh, sure, he’s good-looking.”
“That’s not quite the same thing. One thing all us mates have in common is the attraction we feel for our men.”
The heat multiplied. “He’s hot, okay? But he’s not the only hot guy around here.”
“Do you mean Jasper?” Carla laughed at her glare. “You know wolves are bigger gossips than most people think women are. I know all about your lunch with Jasper.”
“Of course you do.” Rose made a face. “I had a nice time this afternoon until Mr. City Slicker got off the train. I suppose I’ll need to cancel my Saturday night supper with Jasper.”
“Yeah, Taye will have one of the men tell him.”
Rose winced when she imagined how the message would be delivered. “I should write a note to him. I’d like to explain in person, but I don’t suppose I can.”
Little Feather slept, a small milk bubble trembling on his lower lip. Carla smiled down at her son before looking back up at Rose. “Sky wouldn’t like that much. Are you going to let him court you?”
“Yeah.” Rose heaved a sigh. “I guess I owe him that much. But if don’t like him, I’m not accepting his mate claim. That’s final.”
“No one would argue with that. If you give him an honest chance and you decide you don’t want him, then you can look for another man to give you a family.”
Rose got ready for bed late that night. Sky still hadn’t returned from the Plane Women’s House. Why was she disappointed? They would have plenty of time to get to know one another. It was just that she wanted to see him. Even to herself she was reluctant to admit why, but she despised people who ignored things they didn’t want to face. The truth was, he was very handsome, and she couldn’t wait to be courted.
She settled under the blanket, feeling like a little girl on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa Claus. Tomorrow would be present-opening day and her present was wrapped in a slick city suit. She wanted to see what was under the wrapping. Not just the body, although she certainly looked forward to seeing that, but what his heart held. And,
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